Switching-socket.



G. C. KIN/mw.

SWITCHING SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I5, I9I.

l ,285,739a Patned Nov. 2G, 1918..

UNITED sfr/aras PATENT onirica.

GEORGE C. KNAUFF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EDMUNDS & JONES CORPO- RATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

SWITCHING-SOCKTT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2li, 1918.

Application met January 15, 1917. sei-iai No. 142,348.

' use the same. i

in the socket casing,

My invention relates to electric sockets or connectors, its general objects being to provide simple, compact and effective switching means for connecting and disconnecting the circuit in a double-pole socket or connector. In my issued Patent 'No 1021195, dated March 26, 1912, I have shown and described a double-pole switching socket in which the controlling of the circuit is effected by partially rotating an insulating body mounted so as to bring two comressible conductors carried by this insulatmg body respectively into or out of contact with the terminals of a lamp or other terminal-carrier. My present invention aims to produce the same result by moving an insulating body longitudinally of the socket casing, so as to bring the conducting elements mounted on this body respectively into or out of contact with conducting elements onV terminal-carriers held rigidwithrespect to the socket casing. My invention also aims to provide spring-pressed extensions for certain of the conducting elements, so that the circuit-connections vat one endof the movable insulator are maintained continuously, and preferably also aims to utilize the pressure of" such spring-actuated elements for maintaining one or moreof the constituents of the socket or connector in operative position regardless of the jarring to which the appliance may be subjected.

Still other objects will appear from the following specification, and from the accompanying drawings, in which drawings- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through a lamp-socketembodying my invention, showing the switching member in its off position, or interrupting the circuit.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the switching member in its zon7 position.

Fig. 3 1s a View, partly in section, showing a Switching member inverted inoperative C. KNAUrn,

position from that of the embodiment of Fig. 1.

' Fig. l is a fragmentary view showing an embodiment in which the switchjing member carries incompressible conducting elements and in which the wire-terminal plug has terminals equipped with spring pressed extensions. i

In the embodiment of Fig. 1, the socket of my invention includes a cylindrical casing 1 equipped at one end with bayonet catch formations 2 for interlocking with pins 3 on the base of a lamp el. 'Mounted in the other end of the casing and secured thereto by a rivet 5, is an insulating plug 6 carrying two 'inder and continuously contacts with one of lthe terminals S-Of the lamp, each plunger being continuously pressed toward the lamp by a compression spring 12 also housed by the adjacent cylinder 1Q. Fast upon the insulator 9 is a handle 13, which handle projects through a substantially hook-shaped slot 14- in the socket casing, the hook forma tion of the slot presenting its bend toward the lamp cnd of thecasing and the shorter arm of said slot being so located as to afford a seat for the handle when the insulator 9 is in the position o Fig. 1; that is to say, when' the insulator is raised so as to bring the closed ends of the cylinders 10 out of contact with the terminals on the plug. When thus 4 raised, the plungers 11 are forced for a ecninsulator 9 firmly interlocked with the casing. Consequently, any jarring of the socket, such as is common with appliances handle 13 serve to hold the lamp andthe used upon automobiles, will not interfere.

With the firm maintainin of both the lamp and the slide in the position shown.

with the bayonet catch slot formations on the socket casing, so that with this construc-4 .tion the lamp will be rigidly held at all times.

However, do 'est Wish to Abe limited to the use of plungers er conductor extensions) projectingtoward tte .lamp terminals, nor to this particular form extensible conductors on the insulator 9 (which insulator, together with the compressible com ducting members carried b slide or switching member o my app1ian'ce) nor to other of the details rangement might be modified in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, the conducting members on the slide may shown in Fig. 3, so that the' plunger ends will press against the plug terminals continuously while a downward movement of the slide will bring these conducting mem-A bers out of contact with the lamp terminals..

0r, the spring-pressed,extensionsl or plungers 4may be mounted on the as in Fig. 4, in which latter case the conducting elements 15 on the insulator 9 may merely be solid cylinders of brass. Withvthe inverted arrangementv of Fig. l3, it will bev each lother longitudinally it, forms the l as above dis-- closed. Obvlously, the construction and arbe inverted, as

insulator plug terminals,

wise be inverted from the position of Fig. l; 1

and in any case, this slot is preferably so shaped that its extreme ends will aline with of the casing, thereby maintaining the conducting elements on the slide in proper alinement with the lamp and plug terminals connected by them. So also, the longer end oi the hookshaped slot is the position occupied by the handle 13 when the latter is nearest this end, as in Fig. 2, so

'as not to interfere with the firm contacting .of the respectively contacting elements at this time'. I claim asmy invention:

In a socket for a lamp having two ter minals on its base, a casing equipped at one end for holding said base, an insulator rigidly held by the casing a-t some distance trom the lamp base, latorslidably disposed in the casing between the lamp base and the aforesaid insulator, two pair of conducting elements carried respectively by the two insulators, coperating means on the casing and theintermediate insulator for holding the latter with the conducting elements of contact with the terminals on lthe lamp base, carried by the conducting elementsl on one vand projecting toward those on the other insulator for in its said locked position.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, 1917. i

preferably extended beyond an intermediary insucontinuouslv afford, ing an electrical connection'therebetweenv and for holding the intermediary insulator' January 9th,I -GEoRGE c. KNAUFFQ carried by the same out Y and spring-pressed extension means 

